Unless trees are looked after properly, with attention paid to the treatment of wounds which have been made by nature or by man, they may become infected with one of a few dozen fungus diseases and become a risk to life and limb.
Shade shelters are an important structure where rain forest plants are gathered together.
I have always held the view that amongst the greatest marks of an advanced civilization is the use of plants and wines to enhance the taste of the daily intake.
A great deal of emphasis nowadays is placed on the importance of healthy living: eating the right foods, drinking the right (unpolluted) liquids, taking in as much good clean air as possible at all times, and exercising until the muscles begin to creak.
A very happy new year to all. Sowing seeds is not so much of a problem as it was say, thirty years or so ago, due to the gradual adoption by gardeners of the technique called space sowing, and the introduction of the cellular seed tray which enables gardeners to hold seedlings under shelter until the weather ‘outside’ is just perfect for them to be planted in the garden
I have little doubt that most people on this planet have their own list of favourite scented plants – scented buy virtue of their flowers, foliage, their fruit and even roots.
I do hope that you will all have a joyous and blessed Christmas Day.
You have to be very careful about applying too much nitrogenous fertilizer to onions, otherwise the bulbs will become too soft and susceptible to diseases like neck rot and downy mildew, especially if there is a wet period when they are growing and when good drainage become critical.
As I have recounted before, the breadfruit tree (Artocarpus altilis, which used to be A communis) came to the West Indies in 1793 on the good ship Providence, actually to Jamaica and St Vincent, both of which had well established botanical gardens.
Remember the Golden Rule: Tree roots will grow outwards as far as their branches, and often more than the area covered by their branches (the canopy).
They play an important part in masking structures which are unsightly, and raise the flower level far higher than is normally achieved by shrubs, and many trees.
There are quite a few members of the cactus family that grow very well in Guyana, providing they are given good drainage and exposure to sunlight.
There are two bulbous plants which cause a bit of confusion in the minds of those wishing to give them a precise identity.
There are three basic things which determine how our plants grow: sufficient water, sufficient carbon dioxide and sufficient heat.
There are two really persistent ‘bugs’ which trouble the gardener, or more correctly the plants in the garden.
When there is a lot of dry weather around one’s thoughts should go to conserving moisture in the ground, and here the application of rather heavy mulches is the order of the day for really precious plants.
I have mentioned previously that some cuttings can be enormously long: six, eight, or even twelve feet long.
It’s amazing just how many people are intimidated by orchids – by the myths connected to their cultivation, and by the folk lore which surrounds them.
Succulents (which include most cacti) are always a challenge to the grower.
Gardeners in the tropics, including Guyanese gardeners, often get quick results. What would take several seasons to achieve in temperate climates may often take them only a year or so to achieve. Whilst
The ePaper edition, on the Web & in stores for Android, iPhone & iPad.
Included free with your web subscription. Learn more.
